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Consumer cognitive and emotional responses significantly impact consumers’ affinity for both tangible and intangible products. Recent research underscores the heightened influence of consumer emotional and cognitive perceptions in product design, surpassing reliance on designers’ instincts or experiences. This case study delved into the analysis of automobiles, using cars as focal product. While visual elements like curve lines, grill design, and color predominantly shape consumer perspectives, non-visual factors such as reliability, quality, and ergonomics play a pivotal role in purchasing decisions. Our investigation, involving six industrial experts and over 130 participants, explored non-visual factors affecting consumers’ cognitive perceptions during car purchasing. Through a two-phase experimental approach, we developed a framework to understand the disparities in ranking assigned by consumers and designers to these non-visual factors, revealing perception gaps. Utilizing the rank value methodology, the Pareto principle, and Fuzzy-AHP analysis, we identified mileage/fuel efficiency, safety features, and reliability as dominant factors influencing consumer perceptions. Designers, on the other hand, prioritize safety features, reliability, and quality/warranty. Our findings emphasize the strategic significance for automobile companies to enhance their success rates by prioritizing these key factors, ultimately elevating brand value, profile, and overall financial prosperity.
Singh et al. (Mon,) studied this question.